Carrots with Garlic Tahini Yogurt

Ever since my friend introduced me to Whole Foods’ kale salad with garlic tahini dressing, I’ve been hooked. The dressing is so addicting that it makes even a kale salad a satisfying meal in itself. Tonight I tried my own, thicker version of the dressing, and served it with sautéed carrots, cilantro, good quality olive oil, and it was even better! It would be fantastic as a side to a roast leg of lamb, or just served as something to snack on. The tahini I had was very dark and rich, so I added yogurt to smooth it out and lighten the color. I browned the carrots in a cast iron pan over the stove, but you can also roast them in the oven. Save any leftover sauce for your own kale salad.

Carrots with Garlic Tahini Yogurt, serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 large cloves of garlic

2 tbsps. tahini

2 tbsps. soy sauce

2 tbsps. apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp. good quality olive oil

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

12 large carrots, peeled

cilantro, chopped

Steps

Mince the garlic into a fine paste. Adding a dash of salt helps to break down the garlic.

Mix together the garlic paste, tahini, soy sauce, cider vinegar, and 1/3 cup olive oil. Add the yogurt and taste as you go.

The sauce can be assembled in 5 minutes. The only real work is mincing the garlic.

Trim the carrot tops, but leave a little bit of the green (not necessary, but they look so cute with the green still attached). Carefully slice the carrots in half lengthwise.

Heat a cast iron pan and add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Add the carrots flat side down, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and brown the other sides. Once carrots are browned, reduce heat to low and continue to cook until slightly softened. Be careful not to overcook them – they are better slightly al dente. You can also roast them in the oven with a little olive oil.

Let the carrots brown a little and avoid stirring too much.

To serve, spoon about 2 tbsps. of the tahini yogurt on each plate. Top with carrots, cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, and any crunchy garnish you may have lying around in your pantry (oatmeal, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, etc).